LOVE ENTHRONED

By Daniel Steele

P R E F A C E.

ANOTHER book on the higher
Christian life! Why should it be written? For the same reason that I
should preach another Gospel sermon. Why should you read it ? For the same
reason that you should hear again "the old, old story of Jesus and
his love." How strange it is that every one who receives full
salvation gets hold of a pen as soon as he can, and blazons it abroad to
all the world! It is no more wonderful than the loosened tongue of the
young convert. It argues the genuineness of the blessing found. The very
fact that persons who hate hobbies become, when thus anointed of the Holy
Ghost, men of one idea, and henceforth push this speciality with tongue
and pen as if in the grasp of an all-absorbing passion, ought to
demonstrate to doubters that there is here a great Gospel truth struggling
to reveal itself to the Church. Reader, do not be afraid of the
multiplication of books on advanced Christian experience. The light grain
will drift off into the chaff, while the full corn will drop into the
bushel and feed the famishing. It takes many men to explore a continent
many pens to portray the unsearchable riches of Christ. Believers could
have been saved by one gospelone photograph of the Nazarene. But God
chose four evangelists to hold up to the Son of Man their mirrors, in
order to reflect his bright image upon our dark world. Who shall be the
limners of his great Successor, the blessed Comforter, but they in whom he
abides, with whom he communes, and on whom he has wrought his
transfiguration ? The work of each of these spiritual artists may fix some
wandering eye in a long and earnest gaze till transformed from glory to
glory by the Spirit of God.

The venerable bishop Janes,
whose zeal for Christ, and abundant labours, are almost apostolic, in
commending to the Christian public a book on this high theme by one now
associated with him in the Episcopal office, uses the following eloquent
language: "Every man has his circle of influence. Each author on this
subject will secure some readers that would not give attention to the
writings of others. Here is a power for good that ought not to be lost.
Verily, if there is any subject on which we need precept upon precept, and
line upon line, the theme of this book is that subject. If there is any
religious truth that should be urged upon the disciples of Jesus with the
sweetness of his constraining love, and the solemnity of his Divine
authority, it is the truth that Christians may and ought to be holy. O
that tens of thousands of individuals, filled with its bliss, and inspired
by its power, were telling of its charms, and inviting to its pursuit! O
that tens of thousands of spiritual limners, the Holy Ghost guiding their
pencils, were actively and ceaselessly engaged in portraying the glories
of this subject to the vision of the Church until every member of it,
ravished by its beauties, and impelled by its attractions, would aspire to
its attainment, by faith enter into its enjoyment, and then join in
labours to spread it! "

These
considerations, together with the urgency of many friendsone of
whom, from his office of bishop of the greatest of our American Churches,
is enabled to give an accurate description of the wants of the Christian
publichave induced me to attempt a more permanent contribution to
the literature of this high theme than can be attained through the medium
of religious periodicals.

It is not
the purpose of the author to bewilder his readers with pages of
speculation, however strong the temptation may be, but to keep as near as
possible to the teachings of the Scriptures, to his own experience, and to
the testimony of others on whom the Holy Spirit has poured his
illumination. It is the design of the writer, in true Pauline style, "
To testify unto you the Gospel of the grace of God." He may not often
use the pronoun in the first person singular. But he wishes it to be
understood that his arguments have been forged on the anvil of his own
experience. St. Paul's argumentative epistles are his experience expressed
in logical form.

It is
with much sorrow of heart that the writer confesses one unenviable
similarity to the apostle to the Gentiles, in the fact that he now
preaches that part of the Gospel which he once destroyed. Before his eyes
were anointed he saw not, in the provisions of the atonement the blessing
of the fullness of Christ as a sharply defined transition in Christian
experiencean instantaneous work of the Spirit by faith only, as
taught by Wesley. Embracing the plausible theory of a gradual unfolding of
the spiritual life without any sudden uplift by the power of the Spirit,
he criticised, without the charity that is kind, the professors of this
grace, magnifying their imperfections, stigmatising them as fanatics and "
pluperfects," and judging them all by an occasional glaring hypocrisy
or by the extravagances of some unbalanced mind. Thus he ran into the
shallow fallacy of those sinners who feast on the failings of the saintsex
uno disce omnes who from one learn the character of all.

In
unfolding his thoughts on this subject, the author has deemed it best to
simply sketch the scheme of soteriology, or doctrine of salvation by Jesus
Christ, and to elaborate only that which relates to the privileges of
advanced believers. This will account for the apparent lack of symmetry in
the treatment of the whole question of human salvation. Although the
author has addressed special classes of his readers in the concluding
chapters, he has not restrained himself from occasional exhortation in the
process of his argument. Whenever the temperature rose to a white heat, he
has thought it wise " to strike while the iron was hot." It may
not forestall criticism to confess, in advance, to this violation of the
strict rules of logical development. The purpose of the writer has not
been so much to create for himself a high reputation as a dialectician, as
to lead willing souls unto " the blessing of the fullness of Christ"
by the shortest path. It is our devout prayer that these utterances of a
soul filled with " joy unspeakable," and sometimes almost "intolerable,"
*(" The Still Hour." Prof. Phelps.)
may contribute to the fulfilling of the Pauline petition, "that ye
may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Dr.
Payson thus beautifully illustrates the relation of various classes of
Christians to Christ. He conceives them as ranged in concentric circles
around the radiant form of our Immanuel: "Some value the presence of
their Saviour so highly that they cannot bear to be at any remove from
him. Even their work they will bring up, and do it in the light of his
countenance, and while engaged in it will be seen constantly raising their
eyes to him, as if fearful of losing one beam of his light. Others, who,
to be sure, would not be content to live out of his presence, are yet less
wholly absorbed by it than these, and may be seen a little further off,
engaged here and there in their various callings, their eyes generally
upon their work, but often looking up to the light which they love. A
third class, beyond these, but yet within the life-giving rays, includes a
doubtful multitude, many of whom are so much engaged in their worldly
schemes that they may be seen standing sidewise to Christ, looking mostly
the other way, and only now and then turning their faces toward the light."

To induce those who are in the second and third circles
to yield to the drawings of the Son of God, and gladly enter into the
inner circle, and ever abide in the joyful presence of the crucified Lamb
of God, is the motive of the writer, who, amid his pastoral and pulpit
labours, and the more exhausting studies in preparing a commentary on a
portion of the Pentateuch, has found refreshment in setting up along the
path of his own experience a few guide-boards for the benefit of those who
may wish to walk in the same path. The writer cannot dismiss his book
without invoking upon his readers the Pauline blessing, as translated by
Bishop Ellicott, "Abstain from every form of evil. But may the God of
peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit, and soul, and
body, be preserved entire, without blame, in the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

DEFINITIONS.

Much controversy on the subject of Christian Perfection
has arisen from the use of terms having various meanings. It is our
purpose to notify the reader whenever we pass from one signification of a
term to another.

HOLY

Set apart to the service of God. Applied to persons and things.

Morally pure, free from all stain of sin. Persons.

In the New Testament the original Greek word is used technically to
designate all justified believers, and is translated by the word "saints
" or holy ones.

HOLINESS:The state of.

Consecration to God.

Moral purity.

SANCTIFY

To hallow, to consecrate to religious uses. "I sanctify myself."Jesus.

To make pure, to cleanse from moral defilement. "The very God of
peace sanctify you wholly." St. Paul.

SanctifiedIn the New Testament used technically to designate
the justified.

SANCTIFICATION

Holiness: the act of making holy.

THE MORAL LAW

Unwritten; the sense of moral obligation felt within.

2) Written; the Decalogue, with its (I) Prohibitions, (2) Precepts.
Also the two tables, prescribing (I) Duties to God; (2) Duties to man.

SIN

Actual. A wilful transgression of the known law of God. Sin
of commission, disobedience to a prohibition. Sin of omission, neglect
of a precept. "Sin is the transgression of the law." ST.
John.

Original or inbredoften without any adjective, and
always in the singular numbera state, not an act. Native
corruption of the moral nature derived from Adam's apostasy. A lack of
conformity to the moral law. Under the remedial dispensation it involves
no guilt till approved by the free agent and its remedy is rejected. It
is intensified by acts of sin of which it is the source. "All
unrighteousness is sin."St. John

PERFECTION: As applied to man.

Legal or Adamic. Entire conformity to the moral law. "I
have seen an end of all perfection, (for) thy law is exceeding broad."David

Celestial. The complete restoration of both soul and body in
the glorified state after the resurrection. " Not as though I had
already attained, either were already perfect."St. Paul.

Ideal or Absolute. The combination of all conceivable
excellences in the highest degree. Ascribed only to God. and not to
beings capable of endless progress. "I am perfect."God. "If
I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse." --Job.

Evangelical or Christian. The loving God with all our heart,
mind, soul, and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves, with the
complete exclusion of every feeling contrary to pure love. " Love
is the fulfilling of the law."St. Paul. "The bond of
perfectness;" the sum total of the virtues.St. Paul
translated by Bengel. "There is a twofold perfection, the
perfection of the work, and that of the workman."Bishop
Hopkins. The former is legal, the latter is evangelical perfection,
which is nothing but inward sincerity, and uprightness of heart toward
God, although there may be many imperfections" and defects
intermingled.